Celebrations
by ira-gula-superbia
Summary: Join the Teen Titans, past, present, and future, in the celebration of the holidays.
1. Halloween

**Happy (Belated) Halloween!**

**So, we're starting a new story that will be published on holidays, in particular, the ones that we celebrate. For now, it shall feature characters and settings from ACS and Child's Play, stories where we have plans already in place and would get bogged down with doing holiday chapters. Please enjoy and review!**

**We own the rights to nothing within this story.**

* * *

Tyson Logan had been prepared to settle into a quiet evening, expecting no more trouble than the occasional alarm summoning him into the city to handle any crime on the night of All Hallows' Eve. Iris had run home, literally, to attend the regular trick-or-treating her family participated in while Mar'i, Colin, and Damian had returned to Gotham for Halloween festivities. The latter of the trio had been coerced into attendance and they'd left earlier in the evening aboard the Tamaranean cruiser the hybrid's mother had donated to the team. With everybody gone, the shape shifter had settled in the main room with a monster movie marathon his dad had prepared especially for Halloween, even if they didn't celebrate it in Upper Lamumba. Circling him was a feast of licorice, cans of sweet tea, popcorn, and other snacks to sustain him through the venture. It started with _Wicked Scary_ and as he watched the foolish protagonists of one of the numerous sequels venture through the darkened halls, guided only by the flickering flashlight, he marveled at the foolishness of cinematic protagonists. Suddenly, the door flew open and a weight simultaneously landed on his back, coinciding with the beast bursting from the darkness to attack the characters.

'_RRRAAAAAARRGGGHH!'_

"Ty! Take me trick-or-treating!"

"Hey, Ty, let's go out and do something!"

Lilith Logan and Mar'i Grayson paused at the sight of each other and the massive wolf-like creature now crouched in the center of the room, his claws digging into the carpet as his heart hammered in his chest. His sister had donned a tattered black dress with dark shoes, stockings striped in the holiday's regalia, and a wide-brimmed, pointed hat that had stitching in its design to resemble a grinning face. Mar'i was attired in the costume she had left in, a purple genie outfit that left her taut midriff bared and had been a major contributing factor in his inability to make eye contact with her for much of the night. Her pants were loose and equipped with golden trimmings. Silk adornments hung about her arms and a veil hid the lower half of her face. Gold embellishments accentuated her outfit and contrasted with the peach colored skin her ring provided her with.

After dragging his breathing back under control, he hissed, "Do _not_ do that! I'd like to keep my heart in my chest."

"Mommy and daddy said that I could go trick or treating as long as you took me," Lili said from her perch atop her lupine sibling.

"Scarecrow's throwing a city-wide Halloween celebration in Gotham, and we got told to keep out. So, Colin decided to go hang out with Nell and dragged Dami along," Mar'i explained. "I figured you could use some company for the night, in case anything happened."

"He has company," noted the small girl imperiously. "You may go now."

"Now what sort of friend would I be to leave my best buddy alone with a hellion like you?" she responded, the cheeriness in her voice quite clearly forced.

"Before this develops any further, please note that I am without costume and quite unprepared for any Halloween venture," he pointed out.

"Please," Mar'i scoffed. "You're totally your own costume."

"You are rather skilled at partial transformations. You would make a great werewolf. Or an even better familiar to go along with my witch costume!" urged the young girl excitedly.

"'No' isn't entirely an option for me anymore, is it?" he asked.

"It really isn't," Mar'i confirmed and Lili nodded. As he shifted into his human form, his sister adapted to the change with obvious familiarity, refusing to give up her place on his back. She scampered onto his shoulders, sitting there and crossing her arms atop his head before he could draw his hood up. He permitted her to adjust and settle into place before he crouched down to grab a thick blanket that he had dragged into the main room, more for a potential hiding place during the course of his horror-fest than any worry of growing cold. Slinging it over his shoulders, he knotted it over his chest to form a long cloak before his shape, with its usual grotesque sounds, swelled and sprouted thick fur. Tusks emerged from his mouth and claws tipped the thick fingers of his powerful arms before he finally nodded.

"Permit me to play the beast to your beauties," he offered with a slight bow.

"Current appearance aside, Charming's a more appropriate role for you," Lili suggested.

"I can agree with that," Mar'i smiled as she removed her holo-ring and slipped it into a pocket inside her costume.

"I'll get us into town," suggested the young girl before summoning a dark portal. They passed through it and emerged into one of the more residential areas of Jump City, outside the spires of glass and steel. Fresh lawns were kept trim and occupied by festive decorations, hanged men swaying from the trees and animatronic witches hexing the passing children from the yard with wicked cackles. Carved grins glowed from stoops and front porches, and the kids ran by them with gleeful shouts and heavy bags. Their sudden appearance caught the attention of pirates, ninjas, princesses, and other trick-or-treaters who stared at the towering beast in awe. Lili looked about excitedly, sifting through the minds of her nearby peers to determine the best houses to obtain candy from while Ty glanced around with an arched brow.

"You seem to have forgotten something," he said.

"Don't worry, I enchanted my hat. It stores all the treats and stuff I get in a pocket dimension," she assured him.

"I was referring to Mar'i."

"Really?" she asked incredulously, her face falling somewhat short of innocence. "I was sure I brought her with us."

"Lili . . ."

"Fine, fine. I'll get her," she sighed. Her eyes glowed black and she cast her hands out as she pouted, "Party pooper."

Mar'i appeared from the summoned shadows, garnering even more stares from the neighborhood, as she crossed her arms over her chest and swung her glare up towards the younger girl. Again, Lili attempted to project an aura of innocence, but her lips fought her schooled countenance, struggling to pull into a smile. The golden-skinned girl observed, "Real mature, Lilith."

"Forgive me. My portal creation training is still incomplete," she said.

"Oh, that is complete -"

"Refrain from such language in the presence of Lili," Ty requested. It was spoken in his usual, soft tones, but Mar'i did not miss the steel in it and decided that it was better to simply drop the topic.

"So, where are we headed first?" she asked instead.

"There," Lili declared, pointing towards a domicile featuring a web-filled tree with a spider that dropped at the youths who walked beneath it. She nearly bounced upon her perch with excitement as she explained, "They're handing out full chocolate bars. We need to grab them now. They only have a few left."

"You need to stop reading people's minds. Mom would not be pleased," he chided, but loped towards the house.

"It's for the sake of candy," she protested. "She would understand. Or, at least daddy would."

"It _is_ a worthwhile goal," Mar'i confirmed.

Rolling his glowing eyes, he meandered up the path towards the door, crouching down to fit under the porch as the golden girl pushed the doorbell. When it opened, the bright smile on the woman's face faltered while the two girls presented their bag and hat along with the customary phrase.

"Trick-or-treat!"

After a second she recovered and offered them the candy bars before ducking back into her house, the lock clicking behind her. The odd trio continued along their path, followed constantly by the odd stares and occasional citizens approaching them in search of an autograph, primarily from the hybrid Tamaranean. She accepted the requests gracefully, offering a pleasant smile to each of those who interrupted their progress, and Ty pacified Lili's growing ire with verbal assurances and sugary bribes that he swiped from the proffered bowls. Upon completion of one neighborhood, they proceeded to the next, and Mar'i offered the contents of her bulging bag to Ty who stored them in the shadowy realm.

As a group of screaming youths raced past, their voices pitched with excitement, Lili made an attempt at maintaining the regal bearing her status as a princess mandated she possessed. However, she began to fidget and when Ty asked if she wanted to get down and join the groups, she nearly leapt from her mount to join the roaming packs. Instead, she waited for him to crouch low before she slid off and charged towards a cluster of kids, leaving the older pair to meander after her at a more sedate pace. Mar'i chuckled as she watched the small girl draw up short of a small collective and demonstrate, in her first instance of ever witnessing it from her, nervousness. After an instant, a boy dressed as a fireman noted the lingering presence of the faltering witch, and waved her into the group. A bright smile bloomed on Lili's face before she dashed forth again, running alongside her newfound friends towards the next house.

Ty seemed to relax, and Mar'i gave another giggle, "You worry about her too much. She's a tough little girl."

"I'm an elder brother. Worry's coded into my DNA," he said simply. "And it's a part I cannot change."

"And it's part of what makes you so sweet," she smiled as she looped an arm with his gigantic limb. She reclined her head against the soft fur, and he shifted, uncomfortable at the touch and emotions transferred to him. His movements were subtle and he suppressed them before she could take note as they continued down the sidewalk. Eventually, he permitted himself to relax and enjoy her presence as they followed after his sister, both content to leave her to gather candy while they merely watched. Their contact brought him the sweet taste of her friendly affection, her soft joy as she watched the children, and the subtle nostalgia such a sight inspired.

The rather idyllic scene was shattered by a series of screams arising from a ring of children. Mar'i took to the air while Ty dropped to all four limbs to bound forward, charging at whatever threat had inspired the shrieks of terror. They drew up short, looming over the youths to stare in shock at the blubbering teens twitching upon the ground. A bucket of candy was spilled about them and they had been wearing a variety of monster masks without any other costume. Standing over them, hands on her hips, was Lilith, her eyes emitting a red glow as she regarded the quivering boys.

"Maggots and parasites are of higher station than you miserable fools," she sneered. "Tell me, when you thought it would be as easy as taking candy from a baby, did you think it would end up like this?"

"N-n-n-n-"

The teen's blubbering was interrupted by the young girl's roar, "Answer me!"

"No! S-sorry! W-w-w-we're s-s-s-sorry! Please, please j-just make it s-s-s-stop," he whimpered and Ty stepped forward, shifting into his humanoid form. His fingers wrapped about his sister's shoulder and she gave a slight jump before turning towards her brother who could feel the guilt bloom before he saw it in her eyes.

"Th-they were trying to take our c-c-candy. I didn't d-do anything wrong," she said immediately, protesting any blame. He glanced back up at the trembling teens who were struggling to their feet and he allowed his teeth to sharpen for a moment.

"Go," he growled. They jumped to obey, racing from the scene as his fangs diminished and he knelt before his sister, both his hands on her shoulders. "Lili, you can't do that to people."

"They were going to steal from us," she argued. "I didn't even hurt them. I just made them think I did."

He sighed, dropping his head for a second and she shrunk away at the disappointment she could feel in him. Sorrow weighed heavily in her stomach and as he sensed it, he pressed his forehead to her own and ensured that she could sense the powerful affection he felt for her. It abated the rising negative emotions and there was a glimmer of happiness that they shared before she pulled away to meet his eyes. She gave a bright smile as a black aura shimmered about the fallen treats before they were loaded into the hollow plastic pumpkin that then levitated towards its owner. Lilith turned to face the other children, but her smile flickered and disappeared as she met their frightened eyes. Shoddy excuses were hastily made, accompanied by insincere apologies before they departed, leaving the oddly-hued girl alone on the sidewalk.

Her shoulders dropped and she bit her lip before a companionable hand landed upon her shoulder. She looked up in surprise at the golden girl who smiled down at her and she could feel the twinge of regret coupled with the briefest hint of vindictive validation and a surprising depth of compassion. Mar'i offered an understanding smile as Lili dashed at a forming tear with the sleeve of her costume and her elder captured one of her small hands before lifting into the air. The young girl followed suit, her eyes glowing as her powers carried her.

"I think we've got enough treats for the night," the elder of the pair said. "How about we do a few tricks?"

"Like what?" she mumbled.

"Just follow my lead."

With a broad grin, Mar'i dropped the younger girl's hand and rocketed skyward, violet globes encompassing her hands. Curiosity piqued, Lili lifted higher to better observe the elder girl while Ty remained earthbound, watching with interest. Shooting towards the full, silvery moon, Mar'i began moving in jagged lines, leaving a glowing trail behind her to create a toothy grin. She leapt higher up and quickly left a pair of burning triangles for her celestial jack'o lantern as Lili looked on excitedly. Quickly rising after her, she threw her hands forward and telekinetically seized the scattered clouds, dragging them together. Ty glanced about as his fellow spectators gasped in surprise and delight at the impromptu display and he smiled before his fingers twisted and leathery skin stretched between them to form wings. He sprang upward and joined the girls in the sky as his form swelled, entertaining the citizens with aerial acrobatics as they prepared their next show.

Dark clouds were gathered in the form of a great pumpkin with the image of a witch on its surface, and held in place by telekinesis as Mar'i joined Lili within the hollowed core. Lifting her arms, she provided a constant light to display the image to the masses below who showed their appreciation with fierce cries and clapping. Lili beamed as she pushed the shape into a spider lurking upon its web, and gave a laugh as her brother adopted an insect-like form and pretended to struggle upon the strands, staying aloft via buzzing wings. At her side and continually providing the shining light, Mar'i smiled at the younger girl's excitement before the image changed to a flock of bats. Ty changed along with it and flapped forward, screeching to the shouts of adulation from the crowd.

Releasing her hold upon the clouds, Lili let herself drop onto the back of her brother as he flapped beneath them and Mar'i shot after her. She circled about the immense bat, crafting masks of light between her fingers in an attempt to startle the youth with each pass, who merely laughed joyously at the bright images. The trio swooped through the city, the elder pair flying expertly about buildings, bridges, and its denizens, and those who had been considering illicit activities quickly reconsidered at the sight of a bat nearly as large as a house. Lili regarded the awestruck citizenry excitedly, waving to them as they passed and sharing the joy she felt with her brother and Mar'i when her enthusiastic greetings were returned.

The moon voyaged across the sky and her arm grew weary as her eyelids struggled to fight their own weight. Her fingers curled in the thick fur of her brother's form as she nestled into it, pressing against his warmth as she rolled up in the blanket turned cape. He felt her drowsiness and dipped before pulling towards the Tower, Mar'i following after. Dropping to the shore of their home, he shifted into his humanoid form and shifted his sleeping sister into his arms, still swaddled in the blanket.

"I can carry her," Mar'i offered.

"Thank you, but I shall manage," he assured her, smiling warmly at the sleeping youth. "You have done more than I could have asked for tonight."

"I barely did anything."

"It was enough. Thank you," he gave one of his rare, full-fledged smiles and she marveled at its display in the spotlight of the moon, free of the obstruction of his hood. She managed a nod and a mumbled acceptance of his gratitude as they proceeded inside.

When Ty returned from tucking Lili into his bed and informing his parents that she would be spending the night, he found Mari perusing through the tower of films he had left behind.

"You were going to watch all of these?" she asked with some incredulity.

"Dad usually clears out his schedule for an entire day for his Halloween marathon. I intended to watch them over the next several days in a protracted celebration of Hallowmas," he said as he hesitated at the couch.

Mar'i nodded and then sighed, "Well, we better get started then."

He balked, "I was under the impression that you were not a fan of the horror genre."

"I'm not," she admitted before sliding next to him, looping an arm with his own and offering the suddenly nervous shape shifter a smile and the remote, "But I've got a friend who can be scarier than anything the movies has to offer if he wasn't such a softie. I think I'll take my chances."

* * *

Iris was the first to return to the Tower, racing the dawn with cargo nearly as heavy as her, filled with candy. She, in the costume of the Flash, and her father, in the costume of Impulse, had taken the family on a county-wide trick-or-treating and even with her advanced metabolism, it would take her several days to finish off the veritable mountain of treats. Lugging them up the stairs of the Tower, she paused within the main room and tilted her head at the pair propped against the couch and each other. Popcorn was tangled in Mar'i's dark mane and scattered about the floor as though a bowl of it had exploded. Crumpled cans ringed her and Ty as well as a variety of candies, chips, and snacks that had been emptied from overturned bowls. Mar'i clutched at Ty's hand with inhuman might, and even in sleep, her grip did not relax, but Ty appeared content as her head leaned upon his shoulder.


	2. Veterans Day

**Happy Veterans Day!**

**We own the rights to nothing within this story.**

* * *

A young Garfield Logan sat in the sleek, colorful vehicle built for racing, turning the wheel as he provided a rough imitation of the engine's roar and the brakes' screeches. He was alone in the large garage and, by nothing short of a miracle, not supposed to be conducting some sort of arduous training at Mento's insistence though he knew that would rapidly change if he was found playing in Cliff's old car instead of finishing the homework he had been assigned. The flight of fancy where he raced down the highway, zooming about the other cars, held more allure than such tasks or true flight, which grew commonplace to his immature mind when practiced so regularly. His fantasy was too vivid, its illusion too complete, for him to notice the soft footsteps approaching the car. However, the sudden knock on the vehicle's roof snapped him from his amusements and he gave a small jump before looking up to offer a toothy smile and an uneasy chuckle.

"Eheh . . . umm, hey, Larry," he said to the bandaged man.

"Kiddo," Lawrence Trainor nodded, his one arm propped against the car's roof and his other hand on his hip. "Coulda sworn that Rita gave you some homework to do."

"Finished it," he provided, immediately proud of his quick-wittedness and masterful deception.

Beneath the bandages, he could see his elder's brow arch before the hand on the roof flipped over to dangle the collection of unmarked papers.

"Really? I could've sworn you ran out of your jar of invisible ink last week," he observed dryly.

"Umm . . ." Gar bit his lower lip as he tried to conjure up another excuse. As his mind raced, his gaze flickered towards the garage door.

"Don't even think about it, kiddo," Larry said before rapping the roof with his knuckles. "C'mon. Outta the car. I'll give you a hand."

The lean man opened the door as the youth groaned but complied, sliding from the seat and trudging to the door, followed closely by his senior. They made their way to the command room and Larry cleared the table to the side as Gar clambered to the seat and hovered over the pencil cup before pulling out one that shared his coloration. As Larry settled into the seat opposite him, he pushed the papers towards the boy who focused a glare at the math sheet before him, hoping to activate some undiscovered ability to produce laser vision. His shoulders slumped in disappointment after a moment and Larry pulled a small page of notes from his belt and regarded his sloppy scrawl closely.

"Lessee . . . you've got math problems to figure out. Then Steve wants a written report on history's greatest tactician – you pick who you think that is and provide support to your argument. Next is a science worksheet, and you have to read three more entries from that animal encyclopedia."

"Couldn't I just watch Animal Planet instead?"

"Sure."

"Really?!"

"Yep. Right after you finish all your homework."

Gar slumped back in his seat, bumping his head against its back before sounding bounding to his feet, balancing precariously as he punctuated his statement with sharp jabs and gesticulations conducted by his pencil.

"This is tyranny! Despotism! I shall not prostrate myself before your fascist dogma, you soulless automaton! . . . Help, help, I'm being repressed!"

"Your 'soulless automaton' is in the kitchen, helping Rita with dinner. I'm the creepy mummy guy," he corrected with a sardonic lilt to his tone. "Now sit down before you hurt yourself."

The boy flopped into his seat and stared at the endless ranks of equations arrayed before him, prepared to wage war upon his already waning interest. Looking back up to his teammate and interim family, he asked, "What's thirteen and seventy-three hundredths times twelve and seven tenths?"

"Somebody really needs to talk to Steve about these problems," Larry grumbled as he produced a calculator from his belt and slid it across the table towards the now beaming boy. He eagerly plugged away on the device, and it bought the elder man several minutes of blessed tranquility that were too good to last.

"Hey, Larry, what did you do before you . . . you know."

"Before I got latched to the Negative Man?"

"Yeah."

Larry regarded the verdant boy suspiciously, glancing at the clock to confirm that there was still a half an hour before the dinner siren would ring. The kid was attempting to burn up time so that he could convince Rita to help him with homework after dinner and then plead and cajole her into doing the most of the work. Being the matronly sweetheart that she was, the former movie actress would, regardless of whether she was aware of her adoptive son's ploy.

"I mean, Rita was an actress, dad's got his company, Cliff's got all those racing trophies . . ." Gar continued, attempting to draw Larry into the conversation. After a moment of internal debate, he berated himself under his breath and reached into his a compartment within his belt to pull out a crumpled photograph that he slapped onto the table. Eagerly forgetting his homework, Gar leaned forward, putting most of his weight on the table as he looked at the trio of figures standing before a sleek fighter jet. They were all attired in flight suits, each stitched with their respective names. Trainor stood in the center, a lean blonde man with crystal blue eyes and a sardonic smile who stood slightly apart from his two comrades. Ferris, a beautiful woman with flowing black hair, seemed to lean into the widely grinning Jordan, a sturdy brunette with dependable features.

"I was a pilot. U.S. Air Force," Larry answered. "Pretty good, too. Did a lot of testing of experimental crafts and such. That's actually how I got attached to the Neg-Man to begin with."

"You got to fly planes? Dude, that's awesome," Gar beamed.

"It was pretty cool," he acknowledged. He regarded the fervent youth for a moment before leaning in and tapping a finger upon the photograph, indicating Jordan.

"Back further than I want to remember, I went to basic training with this lug. It wasn't what you'd call an easy experience. Kids who go through it today – they have it easy. I was ready to drop out, but Jordan – he kept me going. Egged me on. Reminded me why I was there. I probably wouldn't have made it if it weren't for him."

"Why were you there?"

"Hmm?" Larry lifted his gaze from where he had cast it down memory lane towards the curious youth who stared at him with wide green eyes. After understanding the question, he answered, "Same reason most of us were there. We wanted to serve our country. Even for all his showboating, Jordan was ready to lay down his life for this nation and its people."

"Weren't you guys scared? I mean, you guys were only human, right?"

"Sure," he shrugged. "Anybody with half a brain was nearly terrified out of it. Which, now that I think about it, is probably why Jordan wasn't."

"This Jordan guy was supposed to be your friend, right?" Gar asked with an arched brow.

"Of course. I wouldn't be mocking him otherwise," he responded. He paused and leaned in to impart his wisdom. "Listen up, kiddo. You know you've got yourself a true friend when you guys can trade insults you wouldn't shout at your worst enemy, when you take a rather disturbing glee in each other's misery, but are still always there for each other when the chips are down. Got it?"

"Got it," the boy nodded. He stared back down at the picture and licked his lips nervously before inquiring, "Did . . . did you ever have to kill anybody?"

The bandaged man didn't respond for a moment and Gar's ears drooped before finally answered, "Yeah. It's a fact that you have to make peace with if you're going to be a soldier. But, sometimes, it's what you have to do to protect people and your comrades."

"I don't ever want to kill anybody again," he muttered as he drew his knees into his chest.

Frowning, the bandaged man reached across the table to raise the morose youth's head and meet his eyes as he sternly stated, "You did not kill anybody. Not your parents, not those two idiots, nobody. Do you understand?"

He made a noncommittal sound with opening his mouth and Larry repeated, "It's not your fault. Do you understand?"

"Yeah," Gar finally said, his voice small. Satisfied, Larry returned to his seat and collected the photo seemingly in concert with the blare of the dinner siren. Gar bolted from his seat, his misery disappearing as morphed into a verdant rabbit that dashed to the door. The elder Doom Patrol member blinked behind his bandages as he regarded the blank pages that the youth had left behind. With a sigh, he pushed himself to his feet and loped after the young boy, shaking his head with an affectionate chuckle.

* * *

Years later, Gar sat upon the floor of his room, his back against the foot of his bed and his knees drawn up for his arms to rest upon. Clasped in his hands was the old photo, now framed and protected, that he studied with a somber fondness. It had been a rare reminder of his comrade's past life, which he had usually preferred to leave there, and Gar had found it amongst his personal effects several weeks after the death of the Doom Patrol. He did not know what had influenced him to leave it behind, and he could not look at it without experiencing almost overwhelming grief and nostalgia, but he preferred it over being left with nothing of his former comrade. There were the original copies of Rita's movies, the trophies and car of Cliff, but the only thing of significance that remained of Larry was the rugged photo that Gar ensured to preserve.

There was a knock at his door and, without moving his eyes from the image, he called, "Come on in."

The door opened to permit Blackfire, clad in a lilac dress that fitted to her luxurious frame and ended midway down her thighs. Its one side swept under her arm while loose fabric hung from the other, reminding the shape shifter of a toga. Her wild mane reached down her back and her wrists and ankles were decorated with silvery bracelets, most of which were set with small amethysts. She lifted into the air and slid onto the bed directly behind Gar, setting her legs on either side of him and tilted his head upwards as she leaned down to capture his lips in a kiss, the curtain of her thick hair hiding them for a moment. When they parted, she ran her fingers through the tangle of his verdant mane and returned his soft smile.

"Are you ready to go?" she asked.

"Yep. Sorry for moping around," he apologized as he pushed himself to his feet. Blackfire rose and he turned to face her with a brighter smile.

"It is preferable to the clown ruse you perform," she said as she gave him a small kiss. "I prefer it when your emotions are genuine."

"Maybe. Sometimes it's best just to grin and bear it as you take your knocks," he shrugged as he entwined the fingers of his hand with her own, creating a bizarre clash of gold and green. He led her from the room, pausing to set the framed picture on his nightstand, and wondered, "The kids already there?"

"Yes. They've staked out a spot for us."

Gar nodded and the pair walked to the roof in content silence where they released hands to take into the air, the shape shifter adopting the form of a verdant bald eagle. Lifting over the forest surrounding the base, they soared through the air towards the city, easily spotting the mass of people lining the road and they circled for a moment before spotting the rather unique coloration of their comrades. Blackfire descended regally while Gar dropped into a plummet, swooping over the crowd who gave an enthusiastic cheer. He spread his wings, drawing up in the air, as he shifted into a human form and dropped amongst his friends. His arm looped about Blackfire's waist and he smiled at Rose and Eddie, whose arms were hooked. The former was attired in a BDU jacket left open and the dog tags of Wintergreen, William R. dangled from a chain about her neck.

"We didn't think you were going to make it," she said, somewhat accusingly.

"Trust me, Rosie-Posie. I wouldn't miss it," he assured her before glancing about curiously. "Hey, where's Duela at?"

"Probably doing something that's all going to make us regret that we know her," Rose shrugged.

"Last I saw, she was applying some of that camo face paint to some kids," Eddie supplied with a small grin.

A whooping cry split the air and was followed by a sudden weight upon the shape shifter's shoulders, and he staggered before adjusting and looking up at the pale girl who sat atop his shoulders, hand to her brow as she used her new vantage point to look down the street. Her face had been decorated with dark green, brown, and black camouflage while her hair had been darkened to the hue of coal, held in two pigtails by streaming ribbons with digitized camo patterns. Shiny combat boots crossed over Gar's chest, helping to center the typically pale girl's gravity. The remainder of her attire persisted with her theme, but was otherwise identical to her regular costume.

"Hey, look," Rose observed drolly. "I found her."

"Did you see them from way up there? Are they coming? They didn't get lost, did they?" said Duela in a rapid fire of questions.

Gar looked towards Blackfire, who had crossed her arms over her bosom and arched a brow at her beau, with an apologetic grin. She looked towards Duela and cautioned, "Stop moving around so much, or you'll fall. And they looked as though they were about to start. Be patient."

Duela tried to obey, but her excitement was obvious and could barely be constrained as she fidgeted upon Gar's shoulders, trying to peer further down the street. The verdant placed a hand on the girl's boots, holding them in place as his other arm returned to looping about Blackfire's waist and pulling her in close. The golden woman was from a culture of warriors and she understood and appreciated the concept of the holiday. She knew that those who had been through war deserved recognition, and she was happy to give it as a distant march tune cut through the air. It was almost overwhelmed by the following cheer, but the drumbeats carried through, supported by the other sections. Blackfire smiled and glanced up as Duela nearly fell, overenthusiastic in her clapping, before she caught herself.

They watched the passage of the uniformed men and women of every race, shape, and creed with respect and gratitude, showering them with fervent applause and cheers. For a moment, the team was not the heroes, not the sentries of peace and justice. As they stood upon the crowded sidewalk, joining in the thunderous cries, they were merely bystanders welcoming and thanking those who had made sacrifices for their country and beyond. Soldiers who had risked and, in unfortunately high number of cases, lost life and limb to secure those sacred freedoms that all humans had a right to. As the soldiers from every branch of the military marched by, Gar gave a small, somber smile and thought of his old friend who had, even if not in an entirely conventional sense, continued to serve to the best of his ability and uphold the ideals he had learned while in the service.

His smile brightened as he pulled himself from his memories and he clapped his hands enthusiastically for the ranks of soldiers, simultaneously balancing Duela upon his shoulders.

* * *

**This is a holiday very near and dear to our heart, due to the fact that we are very much a part of it. Normally, we encourage even negative reviews, but Ira believes that it is in your best interest not to disparage any of our, or any other nation's, veterans. A minor suggestion.**

**We were going to list all DC Comic characters that have served in the military, partly to show off our extensive knowledge of obscure characters, but we ran out of time.**

**Enjoy and please review!**


	3. Thanksgiving

**Happy Thanksgiving!**

**We own the rights to nothing within this story.**

* * *

The very idea of a normal Thanksgiving was, at the very least, outright laughable. Blackfire had never even heard of the holiday, Gar staunchly decreed that no poultry that had not received a fair opportunity to survive would grace their table, and Duela's take on the autumnal celebration was particularly unique. Rose grumbled that it had never been a major concern in her life, leaving only Eddie to reinforce the traditions that had been passed down through his family. He had turned down Gar's offer of hunting for a turkey, and after careful consideration and a study of the funds that the shape shifter had provided, he had decided to purchase a regular turkey and then a smaller one made of tofu.

Much to Rose's disappointment, Eddie had turned his focus on the week leading up to Thanksgiving in looking up recipes and beginning other preparations. His expertise in cooking was minimal aside from the basics, but as his one of his childhood shows had taught him, cooking was chemistry, and science was his forte. Thus, with all the care of handling hazardous chemicals, he had practiced the concoctions and tested them on his eager volunteer, Duela, to work out his own measurements and process that were repeated until he was assured that they were as close to perfection as he was going to get them. Along with his study into the recipes, he carefully recorded the amount of time it took to prepare them and plotted out the day of Thanksgiving, taking careful stock of his resources and where he could keep the dishes while others baked. He intended to make full use of his unique physiology and capabilities in cooking and had figured out how to keep the meals warm until they were served.

Duela had volunteered to go shopping with him and he had not turned down the help though when she began racing through the store on her cart, he suspected it might have been wiser to handle it on his own. After escaping without causing too many incidents, and returning to base, he had exiled all others from the kitchen with Rose being the last to leave so that she could give him a quick kiss before heading down the hallway. With a sense of importance, he had donned his apron and knotted it fiercely as though preparing for war. As he set to work, wondrous aromas emerged from the room and more than once Gar lingered in the hallway, breathing in the scents hungrily. Everything was progressing in accordance with his schedule, and he moved with practiced precision from one dish to the next.

No sooner had the green bean casserole gone into the oven when, as things tend to go life becomes too easy, he was abruptly interrupted by the clamor of the alarm and the flash of the light. Throwing off his apron and bolting to the door, he paused to cast a backwards glance at the kitchen and sent up a silent prayer that nothing would go wrong before racing down the hallway. As he made his way towards the roof's base, he collided with Ravager as she emerged from her room, sliding the swords into place in their sheaths. They shared a nod before heading to the roof where the verdant pterodactyl was already awaiting them. Blackfire had already lifted into the air, grasping the forearms of Duela who had donned the identity of Stray once again.

Leaping onto the back of the pterodactyl, Kid Devil and Ravager situated themselves before he pumped his great wings and followed the golden woman towards the city. They soared over the skyscrapers before swooping over the highway where an armored truck sped away from pursuing cops. The rear doors opened and an armored man, braced by his comrades, appeared with an odd cannon in his hands that he directed at the authorities and his grin was obvious from where the heroes were in the air as he fired it. Even with the support of his comrades, he was nearly thrown back as a cerulean beam erupted from the weapon and it launched the police cars hurtling into the air.

"You kids have fun," Changeling said as he swung over the truck. Blackfire threw Stray on top and the claws from her hood stabbed into the roof as Kid Devil and Ravager landed alongside her. Changeling pulled away alongside the alien as he yelled, "We're going to handle this."

His size expanded considerably as he tore through the air towards the tumbling police cruisers. Ravager drew in a breath before shoving aside Stray as bullet fire pierced through the roof, narrowly missing all of them. With a nod of thanks, Catwoman's protégé swung into the truck's interior, kicking one of the men into the back of the vehicle. Her claws stabbed into the large cannon that they had been wielding as she uncoiled her whip from about her waist and flicked it towards one of the men with a more conventional sidearm. It snagged the armament and she pulled it from his grasp, depositing it from the truck before smiling behind her mask.

"Heya, boys," she purred. "Hope you don't mind that I brought some friends to play."

Their confusion was quickly diffused when Ravager swung into the inside of the van, kicking another man into the back wall. A thug at her side tried to draw his pistol but the one-eyed girl slammed the hilt of her blade into the man's hand, producing a sharp crack as he screamed through his balaclava. She slammed her elbow into his forehead, smashing it into the wall while another drew back his fist and charged her only for a whip to snake about his wrist and redirect it into the face of one of his allies. Stray's claws flickered forward to slash the man's belt and his pants felt about his ankles, forcing him to struggle for his bounce before she knocked his feet out from under him. Ravager cast her foe from the van and he rolled along the highway, mostly protected by his body armor.

The driver and passenger heard the thuds and shouts, but did not stop in their escape even as a crimson boy suddenly landed before them and roared, his eyes and throat glowing a fiery yellow. His claws drove through the hood, and, with a slight show of exertion, he tore the engine block from its place and tossed it to the side. Recovering from the terror, the passenger pulled up his shotgun, but Kid Devil shot forward, smashing through the window to seize the firearm's barrel. It glowed before the slag began to drip through his grip and, with his eyes still blazing, he suggested, "You know, I'd consider it a personal favor if you guys just surrendered right now."

They exchanged a glance as the van rolled to a stop before both raised their arms and he gave a pleased sigh before straightening. Several thuds and grunts informed him that the girls had finished off the remainder of the thugs. With a growl, the pair in the cab were encouraged to disembark and they did so hastily before being herded to the back where their comrades lay motionless upon the ground. Stray lingered inside of the armored vehicle, pawing through the duffel bags stuffed with cash while Ravager watched her closely, reclining against the van. She smiled at Kid Devil who gave a grim nod as the two from up front laid down upon the ground. In the distance, Changeling and Blackfire had managed to deliver the cruisers safely to the road and were assessing the damage.

While Changeling wrapped up the case and finished the incident report, the alien beauty carried Kid Devil back to their base. Unfortunately, it was too late to save the casserole and he accepted the loss stoically, already having accounted for an incident that would pull him away from the kitchen. Nevertheless, he couldn't help the disappointed sigh as he dumped the charred remains into the trash and slid the bowl into the sink. Pulling the apron over his horns, he knotted its straps behind his back and strode to the fridge to remove the can of sweet potatoes. Setting it upon the counter, his tail deftly opened a drawer and, after a second of searching, retrieved the can opener. Deftly cutting off the lid, he flicked through the recipes that he had printed in the case of an emergency. Reaching up, he pulled out several spices as his tail retrieved a masher and dumped the sweet potatoes into a bowl.

His tail set to grinding them when Gar returned with the rest of the team, their presence announced by his rare scolding as he explained to Stray that they did not take any sort of recompense for their heroics. Rose stopped in, offering assistance, but settling for a quick kiss and a word of encouragement when her offer was turned down. She departed soon after, mostly to chase Stray from the room after the sauntering thief had approached Eddie and requested a saucer of milk, her innuendo blatantly obvious. With a somewhat anxious smile and renewed vigor, Eddie picked up a cheery whistle as he worked and his movements carried a slight flourish. There was no music beyond his own tune, but that did not hinder his personal performance. It was only the shriek of the alarm that dampened his mood and caused him to deflate before Gar's voice came on over the intercom.

"Don't worry about it, Eddie. We got this. Rumble's just busted out and he's causing some trouble. You can go ahead and keep cooking," he assured him.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, yeah. This'll be a piece of cake."

"Thanks," Eddie sighed with relief.

"Not a problem," Gar said. There was silence, and Eddie presumed that he had left before his voice emerged to admit, "I will, however, be posting that absolutely awesome video of your little dance. There's nothing that can be really done about that."

"Muahahahahaha!"

The villainous laughter echoed throughout the base and Eddie pursed his lips as he glanced about and Gar coughed, "Yes, thank you for that, Dee. And on that note, we'll be off. Have fun, Eddie."

"You bet," he answered as he inhaled the sweet aroma of the cooked dish and smiled. His powers did not afford him many conventions in the mundane, but he did enjoy the fact that he no longer needed to bother with oven mitts. Setting it upon the counter, he finally turned his attention to the turkeys, pulling them from the freezer and regarding them pointedly. He traced his talons along their containment, slicing through them and setting them in the pots he had prepared. Slathering them in the sauces he had readied, he added his garnishes before pushing them into the oven. As he watched them roast, he took a moment to lean against the island, fold his arms over his chest, and sigh contentedly at his work.

Naturally, it was at that point that his phone began to chime and he pulled it from his pocket, noting with a frown that Rose was calling. Pressing it to his ear, he said, "Hey, wha-"

"Eddie, listen, Rumble's upgraded his gear or something. He's giving us more trouble than we thought," she rushed.

He pushed off of the counter and asked, "You need me to come down and lend a hand?"

"Actually, he somehow caused an explosion and lit a building on fire. The roads are wrecked, and the fire department's working around it, but we need you down here, getting the people out. We're taking this bastard down before he causes anymore damage. We've already sent the address," she explained.

"Got it. Heading to the tunnels now," he answered as he threw off the apron, snagging it on his horn before tearing it away and rushing to the door.

"Good," she replied before shutting off her phone. The crimson boy raced to the tracks that spread throughout the city, glancing at the text that beeped onto his phone as he stepped into one of the chambers. He jammed it into the keypad and increased the velocity to its max, rocketing down the track before coming to a smooth stop and shooting him to the surface. Pushing through the doors before they had even fully opened, he immediately noted the dark plume of smoke rising into the air and could smell the fire, a part of his soul leaping at the thick scent. Anguished cries reached his ears, interspersed with gruff shouts and commands, as he charged down the cracked and sundered street.

Firemen had beaten him to the enflamed apartment building and were attempting to coral the dancing blaze that threatened to leap to the adjacent structures. The men and women in their thick coats and helmets were forced to work about the lack of their support laden vehicles, and were adapting considerably well. Directing them was a leathery skinned man with tired eyes who alternated between roaring commands at his subordinates, pulling civilians from the fire, and demanding support over his radio. He and Eddie exchanged a short nod before the horned boy dove through an already broken window. Flames licked at him, like exuberant puppies crowding at the door to eagerly greet their returned master.

His gaze flickered about the already vacated apartment before he heard a weak cry over the crackle and roar of the fire and his legs coiled before he fired upward. Tearing through the ceiling, he heard the weary pleas of salvation turn into a shriek as he pushed through the floor and he urged, "Wait, wait! I'm here to get you out. You need to come with me."

"I've survived this long, and you ain't getting me now, Satan!"

"This day just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it?" he muttered under his breath. Grunting, he pushed himself out of the floor and approached the wizened woman as she coughed into her arm and tried to bat him away with the other. He didn't even bother warding off her strikes as he scooped her into his arms and dropped through the hole he had made. Leaping from the window, he passed off the elderly woman to the paramedics who had finally arrived before jumping back into the building. Alongside the firemen, he pulled families and others from the building, he served as support for halls and doorways so that others could pass through, he passed through the flames that the others could not. After a certain point, he lost count of how many he had pulled it or how many times he had run back in again, and it merely became repetition, a task he was prepared to repeat endlessly.

After a time, he began to notice a shift. They weren't pulling people out as regularly and the flames were losing the battle against the streams of water from the hoses. Stopping by the captain for a second, he said, "I'm going to do a final sweep."

The elder man nodded, "Be careful. Thing's likely to come down on top of you."

"Got it. Thanks."

Kid Devil rushed from room to room, ensuring that they were devoid of occupants before pressing onward. He cleared the first several floors without complication but as he clambered up the stairs, there was a fierce creaking and they dropped out from beneath him. His claws found purchase in the wall and he grunted as he hauled himself over to the remaining stairs. Tentative footsteps prodded the floor before he distributed his weight upon it and glanced down at the mass of cinders and wood. With a sigh, he continued his journey upward with a measure of caution. One of the rooms nearly fell on him when he opened a door, and another hallway, he was forced to squeeze through the fallen debris. Fires still burned within the building's interior, but he strode through them unaffected, searching for other survivors.

He had resigned himself to the fact that everybody had been rescued by the time he reached the last three floors, but a soft sound caused him to draw up short. It had been masked earlier with the full roar of the flames, but with their decrease in intensity, it was growing apparent. Straining his ears, he followed the fading noise, but moved with greater alacrity upon realizing that they were human cries. Barreling through a charred door that had somehow managed to avoid being opened, he instinctively flinched as the flames swelled, gorging themselves on the rush of fresh air. Striding through them, he began to shift away the debris that had fallen over the door but hesitated when it protested with a loud creak. Moving aside some of the smaller pieces without incident, he kneeled down and yelled, "Hey, who's in there?"

There was a weak cough followed by a small, hoarse voice that returned, "Me. A-and my daddy. H-h-he's not moving."

"All right, I'm coming in to get you and your daddy. Don't be scared," he said before crawling into the room. It was a kid's bedroom, mostly saved from the fire with the walls painted an ocean blue though the heavy influx of smoke had stained them. Crouched near the bed with sheets featuring the planets and stars was a small boy with blonde hair kneeling over a stout, unconscious man. Despite Kid Devil's assurances before entering, the child flinched at the red-skinned being crawling from the fire before calming down.

"Y-you're one of the Titans."

"That's right. I'm going to make sure you and your dad get out of here safely," he nodded before glancing to the window.

"I can't – I can't carry my dad," he murmured.

"I can," he grunted as he lifted the sturdy man onto his shoulder. As he did so, he heard a dangerous creaking followed by a resounding crash as the room behind them fell away and the previously starved fires began to spread into the boy's room. He whimpered as Kid Devil grimaced and held out his other arm, collecting the kid in his grasp. Moving to the window, he kicked out the glass, protected by his hide and stepped onto the sill while the fire greedily devoured the new oxygen. Crouching for a moment, he grunted and fired across to the building across the alley, his feet catching on an edifice but slipping.

"Hold on!" he shouted and the boy immediately clung to his neck. His arm fired upward, talons stabbing into the brick and mortar before he growled and pulled them up. Releasing his grip for a second, he reached again, this time seizing a ledge that he hauled himself and his passengers over. As he sprawled out upon the roof, gasping from exertion, he heard a loud boom and glanced back to see the apartment building start to collapse. He sighed, "Of course it would."

Beneath him, he heard cries of his name and he crawled over to the ledge of the building he was on, leaning over its edge to shout down to them. He mustered all the energy he could manage to wave down at them and slowly, heads began to turn and soon a cheer rose up from the crowd. Giving a weary chuckle, he rolled to his feet and lifted the kid's father onto his shoulder and held out his other hand for the boy.

"Come on. Let's get you downstairs," he said with a smile that the boy returned before slipping his small hand into his.

* * *

Eddie returned home, tired but happy, but was immediately struck by the smell of smoke that made him falter. The remainder of the team had gathered around the island, their expressions solemn and grim, and worry bolted through them as he counted them, ensuring that they were all present. He sighed with relief upon realizing that they were all present and devoid of any serious injuries, but his confusion continued to mount. Duela had donned a somber black gown fit for a funeral, and she dabbed at her eyes with a yellow polka dotted purple handkerchief in between dramatic sobs. Blackfire adopted an expression of annoyance, but patted Duela's red hair consolingly. Gar and Rose engaged in a hushed argument at Eddie's entrance, the elder of the pair holding out his hands and seeming to insist upon a game of rock-paper-scissors. Finally relenting, the white-haired girl groaned at her loss as the shape shifter snickered and turned her towards her increasingly anxious boyfriend.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

She bit her lip and said, "Well, you know, after you got the fire under control, we finished up Rumble and dumped him back in prison. And remember I called and you said that you were finishing up the incident report at the station? So we came back here and your turkeys were in the oven and they were kind burnt to a crisp."

Duela's voice rose in a loud wail and Blackfire winced before delivering a small growl to silence the girl who gave an apologetic chuckle. The team studied Eddie carefully, awaiting to see his reaction as he stared back at them, unmoving. After a silent moment, he turned to the fridge and opened its door, gathering several of its contents as his friends exchanged curious glances. He turned and began to toss sandwiches in plastic bags to the others, and then settled into one of the stools, still holding two sandwiches. One he set before him and the other he merely held, heating it before passing it to Rose.

"I figured something would go wrong with my plan. I made some turkey sandwiches as a contingency," he explained as he peeled away the plastic cover of the sandwich. Gar opened his bag, sniffing experimentally before grinning at the tofu and happily devouring the simple meal. "Got mustard, horseradish sauce, and a whole bunch of other culinary blasphemy on Blackfire's sandwich. Honey roasted turkey for Duela, and for the girl without compare, bacon-layered turkey with her favorite barbecue sauce, heated to perfection."

Gar gave a hearty laugh and ruffled Eddie's hair companionably while Rose rewarded him with a pleased kiss. Beneath grumblings that there was nothing wrong with her taste in food, Blackfire ate her sandwich and Duela cheerily gnawed on the supper. Gathered about the table, they happily feasted, rejoicing when Eddie revealed the extras he had made, permitting them a second helping. Dessert was deep bowls filled with ice cream and decorated with the entirety of their toppings. As their spoons began to scrape against their bowls and were not as heavy with the sweets, Gar stood.

"So, this may be our first Thanksgiving and while it isn't exactly traditional, neither are we. After all, normalcy is way overrated."

"Here, here!" Duela cheered, lifting the heavy glass mug that had contained her root beer float into the air.

"Thank you for the enthusiasm. However, I'd still like us to go over what we're thankful for. You don't have to say anything, but I know I'm going to," he smiled as he paused for a second, collecting his thoughts. A moment later, he began, "First off, I'm thankful that this team was brought together. I'm glad to have met all of you, and I look forward to working with you guys for years to come. Ummm . . . I'm thankful none of the criminals I've hired have killed anybody or blown anything up. Same goes for you guys. And I'm thankful Eddie's meal. Who's next?"

"Ooh, ooh! Me, me!" Duela's arm rocketed into the air and she bounced in her seat. Gar nodded to her and she stepped onto the floor and cleared her throat, "Eh-hem. I am – I'm thankful for having a home. A place where I can simply be and there aren't people telling me that I'm broken and that I need to be fixed. I'm thankful for all my friends – both inside and outside my head."

"That's not worrisome," Rose muttered but clasped Duela's shoulder, giving it a friendly squeeze as she settled back into her seat. There was a moment of silence as they exchanged glances, the final three engaging in a solely visual debate as to who would be next before Blackfire surprised them and stood up.

"This is the first time I have even heard of this quaint tradition. It's very human. I give thanks for the opportunity I have been given to begin anew, for the acceptance and welcome I have found on this world. As well as the certain . . . other things I've found," she grinned at Gar with a predatory gleam that he returned.

"You know what I'd be real thankful for?" Rose smirked. "If you two could go just twelve eyes or something without making me want to hurl."

"Like you're any better," Blackfire scoffed. "I've seen the way you and Eddie slobber over each other."

The red-skinned boy choked on his spoonful of ice cream but managed to gulp it down after several pounds on the back from the chuckling shape shifter. After regaining his breath, he raised an arm, "I'll, um, I'll go. I'll go. And what I'm thankful for is the chance to help others, no matter what that calls for me to do."

"And?" Rose pressed.

"And for having the most beautiful, awesome girlfriend I will ever have," he added with a nod.

"Don't you -"

She was interrupted by his initiation of a kiss, cut off as his warm lips captured her own, and her face was flushed when he broke away, grinning proudly. Purging the scarlet dusting from her cheeks, she coughed into her hand and stood, regarding those gathered about the table. Her lips twitched and she admitted, "I'm thankful for this team. You guys . . . you're family. I don't really have anybody else, and we really haven't been together that long in the grand scheme of things, but I-I hope we are."

There was a short solemn silence amongst the group before Duela dove across the table, arms looping about Eddie and Rose to tackle them to the floor.

"I love you guys so much!" she sobbed gratefully, clinging to them tightly.

Rose's teeth ground together and her fists clenched before she relaxed and half-heartedly returned the hug. She warned, "This is a special occasion, clown. You try this tomorrow, and I will gut you."

* * *

**We're a bit unsure about this. We feel like we had a strong start, but we were unsure of the ending. Please, let us know your thoughts.**

** ABReviewer: We're still writing ACS. We posted a chapter yesterday. Please read and enjoy. We're glad that you enjoyed the dynamic and we hope it persisted throughout this chapter. As for the reasons behind Wintergreen's demise, we haven't decided. Thank you for the review!**

**Enjoy and review!**


	4. Christmas

**Merry Christmas!**

**We own the rights to nothing within this story.**

* * *

Before the new Teen Titans, several months after he had abandoned his mother to join his father in his mission, Damian Wayne celebrated his first Christmas amongst the extensive members of the Bat-Family. On the eve before the celebrated day, snow coated Gotham, a natural product and not the cause of any of the Mr. Freeze knock-offs who sought to replace the cryonic man after his departure from villainy. Most villains had their own celebrations to attend to, and the Joker has been safely secured, checked several times throughout the day to ensure that he would not be joining in the festivities. Those few criminals who did choose to brave the elements and slog through the thick snow were minor and easily handled by the police. None of this stopped Damian from donning the guise of Robin and impatiently awaiting his father as he watched the large map on the screen, color coded dots flashing intermittently, subtitled with the case's status.

His keen ears caught the slight whoosh of the elevator's doors as they opened and he did not turn as he observed, "There are four robberies, a body has been found, there was a mugging reported four minutes ago, and -"

"And there's nothing that the police can't handle."

He turned at the lithe figure of Dick Grayson who sauntered from the elevator's entryway, clad in a festive sweatshirt featuring cartoonish elves passing about gifts. A small smile pulled at his lips, and he slipped his hands into the pockets of his dark pants as the newest bearer of the mantle of Robin frowned. The youth folded his arms across his chest and glared up at the long-haired man, undaunted by the considerable difference in their stature.

"If father is feeling unwell, hurry and don your Nightwing guise before I leave you behind," he demanded imperiously. Dick sighed as he approached the harsh boy who maintained his superior expression even as he had to crane his neck upwards.

"Damian, it's Christmas Eve. Lose the Robin suit and come celebrate with everybody," he said, waving a hand towards the elevator he had descended from.

Scrunching his nose, Damian scoffed, "_Tt._ These frivolities are ridiculous. Mother would simply present me with my island before we returned to more important business."

"Yes, because your mother is an absolute paragon of positive virtues," he noted with a small chuckle, earning a fiercer glare from the boy. He said, "Look, family is important business. As is taking the time to celebrate. Now, come on. Alfred's not going to let any of us eat until we're all there."

"You could go without a few meals, Grayson," he observed snidely, but he removed the domino mask and began to undo the clasps of his vest. The long-ago protege of Batman rolled his eyes and only after he turned did he do a worried inspection of his stomach, assuring himself of the rigid definition of his abs. Quicker than he had expected, he was joined by Damian who was finishing doing up the buttons on his immaculate white shirt.

"My mother employed world class cooks throughout my youth. Pennyworth's own culinary skills fail to match," he said as they rode upward.

"I'll let you try to convince your dad of that," Dick returned as the elevator slowed to a halt and the clock it was hidden behind opened. Seasonal music filled the manor as mandated by the stalwart butler and the savory scents of his masterful creations, despite Damian's claims, wafted through the air like a siren's call, pulling those who wandered through the halls towards the kitchen. With a content sigh, the elder man strode out into the study containing the entryway to the Bat-Cave towards the chatter coming from the living room. Damian followed after him and watched a golden and violet blur catch him with enough force to stagger him.

"Dad, what took you so long? Selina said that we can each open one present tonight, but not until we're all here. Now, come on, come on," Mar'i Grayson urged, tugging him into the room. He smiled and followed after her into the room where the family had gathered, waving Damian to come along as well. With a roll of his eyes, Damian trudged into the room that was filled near to capacity with the closer members of the Bat-Family and a massive Christmas tree that had been throughly decorated.

Bruce, his face adorned with his once-rare gentle smile, and a very pregnant Selina Wayne had claimed the couch though with how they pressed together, fingers laced, there was still plenty of room upon it. Chatting with Alfred was Stephanie Brown in yet another purple outfit while Jason Todd lingered off to the side, still unsure of his place amongst them. With her father working, Barbara Gordon had opted to spend Christmas Eve with her other family and had pulled out their television from its place along the wall, fiddling with the cables. As his son reluctantly entered, Bruce stood, temporarily releasing the hand of his wife and former villainess.

"Father, shouldn't we be out patrolling?" Damian asked as he approached.

"If Gotham needs us, we'll know," he assured his son. "For now, just try to enjoy yourself."

"That's right, grumpy guts," Mar'i called from beside the tree, arranging the presents for her into a pile. "Come celebrate the fact that Gotham's still standing despite the best wishes of psychopaths abounding!"

"Mar'i, you do realize that you only get to open one present, right?" Dick said with a slight smile and a nod to the pile she had amassed as he strolled towards Barbara.

The golden girl looked to the woman that violently rejected the appellation of 'grandma' and pouted, "Selina, can I open more than one?"

"If you can do it without getting caught, go for it," she encouraged with a small smile. Mar'i beamed and turned to consider which gift she could successfully hide under her shirt as Barbara suddenly wheeled away from the television and Dick pushed it back into place.

"The video feed should be working now," she said as she grabbed the remote. Pressing a button, it flickered to life and was suddenly filled with a dark-haired duo.

"Merry Christmas!" Tim Drake cheered while Cassandra Cain gave a slight shake of her leather strip of silvery bells, a small smile gracing her features. The former had donned a Santa hat that persistently flopped in front of his face despite his demonstrated efforts to remove it. Its scarlet hue matched the plain shirt he wore, and the slender girl at his side continued the trend with a green long-sleeved shirt and a headband with antlers resting upon her dark hair.

"Merry Christmas!" the assembled members returned and Bruce stepped forward, his expression business-like for a moment.

"How's Hong Kong?" he asked.

"It's going well. We've finished the set-up for the Batman Inc. HQ, and we've found a few cases that we're going to wrap up before moving on," Tim answered.

With the expansion of Batman Incorporated, the pair had begun a global trek about the globe, forging ties to the various members and offering whatever assistance they could. Numerous headquarters and caches had been organized, and direct ties had been built between the members close to each other. With Barbara's assistance as Oracle, Tim had organized an immense database on the numerous rogues and criminal organizations that the individuals often faced. Cass made certain that the embers had the proper training to be risking their lives as they did, supplying them with instruction and demonstrations that firmly removed any doubt that female adversaries were less of a physical threat.

"I take it you guys aren't going to be coming home soon?" Steph asked.

"No," Cass shook her head.

The blonde sighed, "All right then. I miss the both of you. The kids make me feel old and everybody else makes me feel like a kid."

"Miss you too," Cass said and Tim nodded.

"We'll stop by to visit as soon as we can," he promised.

"You better," she said, pointing a finger at him before turning to the slender girl. "Cass, keep him out of trouble."

"Easier said than done," she replied, her voice soft but without the hesitation of her youth.

Before Tim could offer a rebuttal, Mar'i appeared in the screen, holding a long, narrow box covered in wrapping paper as she cheered, "Thank you for the present, Uncle Tim, Aunt Cass!"

"Your welcome," Tim answered with a smile to his honorary niece.

"Just so long as its not more weapons," Dick interjected, arms folded across his chest.

"Okay, that wasn't even my idea," he protested, earning a well-placed jab from Cass that temporarily deprived him of air. As he staggered back, they both turned towards something and as Tim disappeared from the screen, Cass looked back towards her family.

"There is something we must handle. Have a merry Christmas."

"Stay safe, Cassandra," Bruce requested and she bowed her head before the feed cut out.

"With that completed, we are ready for dinner," Alfred declared. There was a chorus of agreement and general adjournment to the dining room, Bruce helping his wife to his feet, but Mar'i paused.

"B-b-but presents!" she protested, holding the gift over her head.

"C'mon, sweetheart," her father called. "You can open the gift after dinner."

Groaning in disappointment, she returned the present to the top of the pile and flew after her family only to be paused by her father.

"What?" she asked innocently. His sole response was a disapproving stare and after a moment of fidgeting under it, she slumped and returned to the tree, slipping the slim package out from under her shirt and returning it to its original position. She looked to her father with exasperation and he nodded. Flying past him, she said, "I'm going to fly over to Ty's house and open presents with them."

"All right then. You can have Christmas breakfast with the Logan's," he shrugged, following her into the dining room.

Damian grudgingly ate the festive dinner, eyes constantly flickering towards the dark sky over Gotham in the hopes that a beacon would suddenly light the clouds. As he pushed about the slices of honeyed ham on his plate, fat snowflakes began to drift downward, dancing at the large window to a merry melody that was felt, not heard. The 'Carol of the Bells' played in the background, beneath the laughter and happy conversation that the imperious heir had no interest in. Across from him was Mar'i who seemed similarly detached from the affair, but her amethyst gaze lifted not to the window, but to the doorway through which her presents awaited her.

As soon as the plates were cleared and Stephanie joined Alfred in the kitchen to help with cleaning them, assuring the others they could return to the presents though Bruce and Bruce volunteered to carry the dishes into the kitchen. Mar'i rocketed out of her seat before she was caught short by her father's disapproving bark.

"We open them together," he said firmly and she groaned before flashing to Damian's seat and lifting the sullen boy into the air.

"Hurry up, slowpoke," she urged as she carried him to the door before she was stopped yet again though the source was different this time.

"Hold up, you two," Selina called, her smile absolutely cat-like as she waddled about the end of the table and pointed towards the doorframe. "There's another little Christmas tradition over your heads."

They glanced up in unison towards the mistletoe that dangled above them, its red berries mockingly bright as Mar'i faltered, gaping at the simple piece of foliage. Damian was still wrapped in her arms, floating several feet off the ground and unable to free himself from the steely grip as it suddenly tightened anxiously. Glancing to her, he saw that she was still mesmerized by the bright green leaves, her cheeks dusted with pink that was quickly building to rival Rudolph's legendary nose. Rolling his eyes, he weighed his options and settled for delivering a short peck to her cheek, snapping her from her reverie.

She blinked as she stared at him, still not loosening her grip before he was suddenly dropped, landing safely without any loss of composure before strolling into the living room. Mar'i hovered there for a moment before following after him, and Dick hooked arms with Selina to follow after them. They paused at the doorway and Dick gave an affectionate kiss to Selina that caused her to sigh.

"You kiss me like I'm somebody's mother."

"You are somebody's mother," he pointed out before glancing at the children. "And still very much a troublemaker."

"What can I say? Old habits die hard," she shrugged as he helped her to the couch. "And since my dear old hubby won't let me . . . _indulge_ in my former hobbies, I have to find something to keep me entertained."

"I know that feeling," Jason smirked from behind them.

"You two aren't about to start criminal recollection session, are you?" Dick asked as he settled on the floor against the arm of the couch.

"At least it would actually be something interesting," Jason returned.

"Right, because you're-"

"Boys, don't make me sic daddy Bats on you," Selina rolled her eyes.

"And who exactly are your siccing me on?" the firmly built man asked as he rolled Barbara into the living room.

"Nobody," Dick and Jason supplied simultaneously.

As the aging detective took his place next to his wife, Mar'i looked to her dad eagerly, earlier embarrassment forgotten. He gave a nod and she responded with a resounding cheer before firing towards the gifts, her chosen one already clear in her mind. She delivered gifts to the others before tearing into her own, singeing the paper in her excitement while the others worked at a more stately pace. Damian watched the festivities with a sour expression, folding his arms as Mar'i gasped at the utility belt and true crime books that Cass and Tim had sent. She immediately tried the former on, modeling it with a massive grin as Dick asked Barbara to remind him to call the globe trotting duo, his displeasure evident.

Damian looked at the present that had been dropped into his hands and efficiently removed the tape from the package to reveal a t-shirt with a flock of birds upon it. There were several more beneath it, and Mar'i appeared before him, holding the first shirt up to him as she said, "I figured you needed a shirt that wasn't part of a suit."

He considered it for a second, catching his father's stern stare, and responded, "Thank you."

She beamed at him before flying back to her present and opening one of the tomes, reviewing a murder case with an avid interest that prompted a certain concern in Dick abated by Barbara's hand consolingly patting his arm. Damian looked through the shirts, finding them to be primarily novelty tees with the occasional reference to what he presumed to be modern culture. Not long afterwards, Alfred emerged from the kitchen with a tray of cookies, followed by Steph carrying a tall glass of milk. The butler set them beside the tree, and the blonde added the milk before standing guard over them, delivering a glare that forced Jason to back away when he attempted to ransack the plate.

Alfred pulled a collection of DVD's from the shelf and Dick stepped forward to work the television. Christmas movies began to play, starting with old and grainy films, and Bruce caught Damian's arm, pulling him onto the couch while Mar'i nestled close to her father. As everybody settled in for the movies, Steph clandestinely stole a cookie and nibbled at it, regardlessly slapping Jason's hand away when it strayed towards the plate. Even as eyelids began to grow heavy, some succumbing to the call of slumber, the movies played throughout the night.

Far away from the high halls of Wayne Manor, a lanky red-haired youth stood amongst skinny children, furtively glancing about before waving a blonde girl towards him. She dashed over, star tree topper in hand as his hands slid under her arms. He grunted and his body swelled, growing thick with muscle as he easily lifted her to the top of their ragged tree upon which she set the star with great ceremony. A cheer rose from them and the others began to clamber over his massive frame, hanging the other ornaments, most of them hand-crafted. His head snapped about at the sound of footsteps, and he made shushing sounds as he set his peers upon the ground and dwindled back to his normal size.

"I found it!" Sister Agnes exclaimed excitedly as she lugged the step-ladder into the room before pausing and blinking at the tree. Standing at the forefront of the group, Colin Wilkes scratched the back of his head and shrugged apologetically.

"Um . . . Sorry, Sister. We kind of figured out how to do it on our own."

* * *

Damian awoke to a shriek of joy, jolting awake and reaching for a knife before realizing that at some point during the night, his father had relieved him of it. He had fallen asleep alongside the rest of the family in the living room, and the rest of them, vigilantes, former cat burglars, and highly trained butlers, failed to wake up earlier than an excited girl upon Christmas Day. Mar'i floated over the presents that had appeared in the night, counting them with apparent glee and far more awake than the rest of them. Looking at the pile, Damian realized than somehow, somebody had managed to move past him unobserved, deliver the packages, and disappear. Everybody was in the position he remembered from the night before, and as he looked up towards his father, he found his expression unreadable as he urged him up and towards the presents.

* * *

**Sorry to those who don't celebrate Christmas. It's the holiday we celebrate and therefore the story that we are doing.**

**Please enjoy and review!**


	5. New Year's Eve

**Happy New Year's Eve! Welcome to 2014!**

**We own the rights to nothing within this story.**

* * *

"Goggles?"

"Check."

"Fresh shoes?"

"Check."

"Watches?"

"Checkity-check-check-check."

"Snacks?"

Iris grunted as she lifted the duffel bag stocked with provisions, dropping it at her father's feet as she nodded, "Checkers."

"And party favors?"

She patted the bag, "Check-a-rooni."

"Excellent," Wally grinned as he scanned over his checklist. The pair was attired in their suits with numerous watches strapped to their forearms, each displaying a different time. Counting through his list again, the elder speedster asked, "Now, where are your mom and brother?"

Before Iris could dash from the room, Linda Park-West called, "Right here! Somebody had to put that blasted game brick of his away."

"That's not what it's called, mom," Jai whined as he followed after her, laden with coats. Ignoring his protests, the dark-haired woman began to pass out the thick garments. Both had changed into outfits similar to those worm by the other members of the family though the soles of their shoes were thinner, and there was heavier padding in the armor. Their full-face masks were both lifted, and Linda wore a suit of crimson with orange padding upon her legs and forearms. Jai wore a primarily orange suit with white along the sides, boots, and neck.

As the dark-haired woman cajoled her children into donning their coats, her husband pulled his jacket on and made certain that he could still check his array of watches. Stepping back, Linda fished her hair from the back of her suit and raked her fingers through the obsidian tresses, flattening them before pulling the attached mask to the top of her head. Leaving it there, she pulled her own coat on and quickly buttoned it up before looking to Wally.

"Are we ready to go?"

"Should be," he said. Iris grunted as she pulled the duffel bag taller than her onto her back, tightening the straps. Wally grinned at his wife, "Have I told you pull that suit off better than anybody else I know?"

"Flatterer," she accused, but kissed him nevertheless.

"My eyes! They burn!" Iris shrieked dramatically, and Linda sighed at her daughter's antics as she broke away from her husband.

"Where's the first stop again?" she asked him.

"Anadyr, Russia," he declared.

"And you know how to get there?"

There was a brief moment of hesitation before he gave a smile that didn't totally reassure her and nodded, "Definitely."

She stared at him for a moment before sighing, "Well, my phone's charged, and I'll,get,directions from there when we inevitably get lost."

"We aren't going to get lost," he assured her as he scooped her into his arms. He kneeled, and Jai jumped onto his back, securing himself before his father stood. Iris flashed through the house, ensuring all the lights had been turned off before they dashed from the door, locking the house before venturing forth to celebrate New Year's Eve.

* * *

**Anadyr, Russia. Three Minutes, Twenty-One Seconds Before Midnight**

"See? Told you I knew where it was," Wally boasted as he set his wife down on the roof of the building they had ascended. Jai hopped to the ground and helped Iris remove the pack she had carried that looked as though it had already been partially depleted.

"Oh, so what was that point where you paused and then went a completely different direction?" the dark-haired woman asked as she pulled the mask down to reveal her smirk.

"There . . . was a bridge out," he supplied.

"Uh-huh."

"Can we open the bottle of sparkling grape juice?" Iris asked, holding it over her head.

"Sure," Wally nodded. "How many more bottles did we put in there?"

"Six," she answered quickly, retrieving them from the bag.

"And a quarter," Jai added, pulling out a largely emptied one that had been buried.

"In that case, you can open it, but I think you've had a bit more than enough," he stared down at the diminutive redhead who made an attempt to look shame-faced, but switched too quickly to imploring. Shaking his head, Wally turned to face his wife who arched her brow, her arms folded over her bosom. He tilted his head, "What's wrong?"

"I put in eight bottles of juice," she informed him and he blinked before rounding on his daughter why possessively clutched a bottle as her brother tried to reclaim it. Before he could unleash a scolding he was sure would have made Batman proud, his watch beeped and he checked the time before quickly pulling streamers and hand-clappers from the voluminous duffel. Rapidly distributing them to his family, he stood with them, holding his large watch in the center as they began to count down.

"Nine...eight...seven...six...five...four...three...two...one...Happy New Year!"

Their cheer was accompanied by the shouts of others throughout the region, celebrating in their native tongue.

* * *

**Ponta Delgado, Portugal. Fifteen Minutes, Thirty-Seven Seconds After Midnight**

The family raced the New Year, ready at each time zone to welcome it with cheers, plastic cups of sparkling grape juice, and probably more than enough fuel to get the speedsters to the next stop. They stood upon rooftops, vacant streets, and as close as they could get to national monuments as they joined in the countdowns. Occasionally, Wally would take his time to assure that they were on the right route,but most of the time awaiting the stroke of the year's final hour was spent in celebration and reminiscing, talking of the events of the year and the plans for the next.

"How about you resolve to play less video games?" Linda suggested to her son who scoffed at the suggestion.

"If anything, I need to resolve to play _more_. I didn't get nearly as far as I wanted this year."

"Oh, great," she rolled her eyes. "What about you, Irey?"

"I'm gonna ride a t-rex. Or a dragon. Oohoohooh, a unicorn!" she gushed, her gaze distant as she conjured the idea.

"How exactly do you plan to accomplish that?" Jai asked skeptically.

"Ty is very susceptible to my feminine wiles."

He blinked and answered flatly, "It's probably a pity. You know, like when you see a really ugly dog , but you feel like you have to pet it because no one else will?"

"Ki-yah!"

Crouching at the first syllable, Iris shot forward to tackle her brother, rolling across the moist sands of the beach they had stopped upon. Linda chuckled as Wally pulled them apart, setting them on either side of him as he sighed, "Kids, what have I said about the holidays?"

"Keep all altercations purely verbal," Jai recited.

"That's right," he nodded, ruffling their hair. "And, Irey, stop bothering Tyson so much. You're liable to give the poor kid a heart attack."

"Bah," she huffed, crossing her arms and in obvious disagreement.

"Is this Raven and Gar's kid we're talking about?" Linda asked.

"Their son," nodded the elder redhead. His watch beeped and he glanced at it before pushing to his feet. "All right, on to the next one. You guys ready?"

"Yep!" Iris said as she suddenly appeared with the half empty duffle strapped to her back. Jai clambered onto his dad's back, and he scooped up his wife before taking off. His connection to the Speed Force was tenuous, nowhere near as strong as Barry's or even Bart's bond, but it was more than enough to move them through the world. He shaped what little Speed Force he could access to form the force field for his family though Iris created her own. Her attachment to the strange force that connected speedsters was impressive, particularly considering her age, but he couldn't help but worry about her.

Water erupted about them as they tore across the ocean's surface, leaving behind the shores of Portugal.

* * *

**Gotham City. Twenty-Five Minutes, Eighteen Seconds Before Midnight**

"Seriously, can't you just take the night off?!" pleaded the mercenary in dark garb as he thundered along the suspended walkway over the warehouse. "It's the holidays."

"I know."

A powerful blow slammed into the back of the heavily built man's neck, driving him into the grate floor. He drove his elbow back, but the figure perched upon him caught his beefy arm and quickly dislocated with a blow from his palm. His shout of pain was interrupted by an elbow to the back of his head that delivered him into unconsciousness.

"I'm celebrating," Robin noted darkly before a gust of wind caused his gape to flutter, and the mercenary that had been stalking slowly towards him suddenly dropped as well. He glanced backwards and growled, "I knew he was there."

"Sure you did," Iris said, letting the components of the pistol that she had disassembled slip from between her fingers.

"What do you want?" he asked as he threw a batarang downward, catching another fleeing mercenary in the back of the skull and throwing him heavily into a nearby crate. Iris suddenly darted to the ground, seizing the long splinters of the broken crate and firing them to pin a woman to the wall before she could pick up her firearm.

"You're coming to celebrate New Year's Eve with us!" she declared. "Dad's grabbing Abuse, Nighty's with her mom, and I'm grabbing you."

"I'm busy. Go away," he ordered as he shot a line to one of the beams, swinging through the air to catch a pair of the guards, bringing them both to the ground. Iris flashed up a wall before firing off of it, driving herself into the side of another enforcer and driving him into the wall. Her legs blurred as she delivered a barrage of kicks that drove the man further into the wall before he slumped to the ground. Grabbing his collar, she dragged him throughout the warehouse, smashing him into his comrades with enough force to knock them out before throwing him at Robin's feet.

"There!" she said. "All done."

"They were bringing in Venom shipments," he grumbled though she disappeared before he finished the sentence. There was a loud crashing sound and he emerged from the alley of crates he was in to find her tearing through the boxes, smashing the canisters. After she had checked the remainder of the crates, she returned before him, hands on her hips and pride on her face.

"And I repeat, all done!"

He crossed his arms over his chest, "Unlike some fools, I have actual business to attend to. Now, if you'll excuse-"

His words were stolen by the wind and when his vision cleared, he found that he was atop one of Gotham's many roofs. A thick blanket had been spread across it and the third Flash sat upon it with the remainder of his family and Colin who had returned to his natural size but still wore the accoutrements of Abuse. He eagerly devoured a jelly-filled doughnut, dropping a glob onto his battered old coat as he waved to the short, dark-haired boy.

"Hey, Robin! Come join the party!"

"_Tt_," he scoffed and crossed his arms as Iris joined her family, tackling her dad who laughed at her antics and flipped her over his shoulder. After a moment, he rolled his eyes, dropped his arms, and joined the family upon the blanket where he received one of the slightly battered doughnuts. He gnawed upon the pastry as he settled next to Jai who seemed distracted, glancing about before giving a small cough and leaning towards the masked boy.

"Hey, so, uh, where's, um, Nightstar?"

"Aww, my darwing, whittle brother has a crush," Iris cooed, appearing behind her brother to pinch his cheeks. He scowled and swiped at her but she chuckled and ducked under Robin's cape, holding it over her head.

"Her mom's visiting, so they're spending the night together," Colin supplied as he bit into another doughnut.

"So, this girl . . . she's nice?" Linda asked of her son who flushed.

"I don't have a crush on her," he protested quickly.

"Good," Robin said as he finished his doughnut and pulled his cape from Iris. He continued, "That will save you the heartbreak when she inevitably doesn't return you affections."

"What makes you think that she wouldn't like me?" he bristled.

"She has better taste," he said

"Quite a charmer, isn't he?" Linda observed to her husband.

He shrugged, "Hey, it's Batman and one of his villain's kid. Apparently, his mom's some sorta super-killy, assassin dragon lady or something. She raised him before he joined up with his dad."

"Couldn't tell," she muttered, taking a sip of juice before glancing at him. "By the way - 'super-killy?'"

"If you knew her, you would totally use that to describe her."

Her response was lost as Colin and Iris suddenly threw arms about each other, lifted bottles into the air, and stumbled through the lyrics of 'Auld Lang Syne.' The redhead had stolen his fedora and it sat crooked atop her head, slipping over one eye, and she grinned broadly as she dragged her brother alongside her. He mumbled a few lines before joining in their caterwauling, breaking into a smile. Colin's unoccupied arm swelled and reached across to capture Robin, turning their trio into a quartet. Though the masked boy refused to pick up the butchered song, he settled for grumbling under his breath and showed no intent of breaking from the group.

Wally's watch beeped and the parents began the countdown as Iris broke from the singing group to gather up the materials, pack the duffel, and slide it onto her back. Appearing beside Robin, she planted a kiss on his smooth cheek as the cheer went up through Gotham City. She giggled and dropped the fedora onto his head as he turned a surprised gaze upon her, and she offered a short salute.

"Catch you guys at the next one."

She disappeared, leaving behind the bewildered boy to the jeers of his comrades, and her dad to laugh over the sour expression that crossed her mother's face.

* * *

**Jump City. Twelve Minutes, Forty-Eight Seconds Before Midnight**

"Tytytytytytytytytytytytytytyty!" Iris hammered at the door within Titans Tower. Heavy metal music roared from within and the shape shifter that accompanied it had assured his friends that he would handle the city's emergencies as they enjoyed their holidays. When he didn't respond fast enough for her tastes, she punched in the code to his room and dashed in to find the startled changeling rising from his bed. Grabbing his arm, she tugged on it before dashing about, pressing her back against his and pushing off from the wall as she grunted. "Cmoncmoncmonletsgo. Geezyourekindaheavywithallthatarmor."

"Wha-what are y-y-y-y-you doing h-h-here?" he asked, largely bewildered and merely standing. Iris tumbled forward but quickly returned to her feet as he said, "A-and wh-where are we g-g-going?"

"Totheroof! Werecelebrating!"

"Th-thought that o-o-only happened on the f-f-f-full m-moon," he protested as she turned off his radio and pushed him out the door and down the hall. "Y-y-you do know I-I-I h-have family t-to see."

"Just like I know that you won't go to visit them because you'll be busy 'watching over the city,'" she rolled her eyes and patted his shoulder affectionately. "Besides, you and me - we are family. You're like the brother I never had."

"And what exactly does that make me?" Jai asked as he emerged from the door leading to the stairs.

"Eh," she shrugged. "The dog that keeps humping the leg of all the girls that I know."

"Oh, well thank you."

"Welcome," she chirped. "And what are you doing down here? Nightstar's door is locked. You can't get in."

"Ignoring the fact that I probably could, dad sent me down to find you. You were taking too long," he answered.

"That's because grumpy Gus here keeps dawdling," Iris said as she sprang onto his shoulders, feet dangling over his chest to tap him lightly in the ribs. "C'mon! Hi-yah! Mush!"

"I h-have ac-ac-accepted Wyld as a pseudonym," he hissed as he slid into the form that looked to be crossed with a Komodo dragon, a large dog, and a horse. Jai took a cautious step back as Iris slid into the middle of the creature's scaled back as he turned his crimson gaze upon her. "Do not call me 'Gus.'"

"Thenhurryup!" she bounced excitedly. Ty sighed before suddenly springing forward, landing upon the wall in the stairwell. Iris laughed as she looped her arms about his thick neck, and he launched himself along the surface, dropping back to the floor as he reached the top. His whip-like tail grappled the doorknob and twisted it, admitting them into the cool night while Jai followed behind, less than eager to approach the reptilian steed. Iris dismounted as the door closed behind them and Ty morphed into his humanoid form, drawing his hood up before greeting the elders.

"Mrs. W-W-West. M-Mr. West," he nodded and the dark-haired woman smiled.

"He's certainly friendlier than the last one."

"Hey, Ty. How've your parents been? We were going to visit them, but Upper Lamumba's harder to find than I thought it would be," Wally confessed.

"It d-d-d-doesn't h-help that Lower L-L-Lamumba d-dissimilated years ago," he acknowledged. "B-b-but m-mom and dad h-h-h-have been well. I sh-shall g-g-give them your r-r-r-r-regards."

"Thanks. Now, come on. Join the party," he waved him over, holding out a plastic cup of fizzing juice with his other. Iris observed with fascination as he approached, a deer lured by a treat making its tentative approach. He accepted the cup with murmured gratitude, grasping both hands about it before taking a long sip. Sliding behind him, the young speedster urged him to the blanket that they had spread upon the edge of the Tower, overlooking the city. Settling into place beside her, he hung his feet off the side and accepted the tin of cookies passed his way, leftovers from their Christmas. His fingers twisted into tentacles as he plundered the reserves before returning it to Iris who devoured several more in a matter of seconds before giving up the largely emptied package.

"So, Ty, you're the guy putting together all the Titans, right?" Linda asked as she tentatively joined the kids at the edge, Wally following her without any such trepidation.

"Yes."

"And you're the one who led the invasion of super-powered kids of my home when you recruited Iris?"

"Y-yes."

"Oh, good. Then, since my husband can never seem to remember to ask, could you tell me who is responsible for scarring my sink?" she asked, her gaze turning sharp.

"Oh, c'mon. I fixed it, and it didn't cost us anything," her husband protested.

"N-n-n-n-n-no i-i-i-idea," Ty stammered, drawing deeper into his hood as Linda eyed him suspiciously.

"So, you got any resolutions?" Iris asked suddenly, breaking the tension.

"Ch-ch-change the s-security codes to m-m-my door," he shrugged.

"That one kind of sucks."

"A-a-a-and wh-what's yours?" he asked as the final watch on Wally's arm beeped.

"Oh, that's easy," she grinned as the rest of her family began the countdown. "In fact, I made up one for all of us."

"I'm s-s-somewh-what scared t-to a-a-ask."

She threw an arm over his shoulder, or the nearest approximation her height would permit her and gazed across the stars reflected in the sea. Breathing in the salty air, she declared, "We're going to save the world."

He watched her as her family erupted into celebration and his keen ears caught the distant cries from the shore. With a smile, he encircled her shoulder with his arm and nodded ,"W-we d-definitely will."

* * *

**Hope everybody had a good year, and that the trend continues!**

**Please enjoy and review!**


End file.
